Federweißer (New Wine)

What is Federweißer?

Every year, Federweißer is the first product of the grape harvest.
As a smooth, fruity drink, Federweißer sweetens the late summer and early autumn days for connoisseurs.
At wine festivals throughout the year, this still-fermenting grape juice is particularly popular.
It is traditionally served with hearty dishes such as onion tart, quiche, or chestnuts.

Sauser, Rauscher and Bitzler

At every stage between grape must and fully fermented, finished white wine, this cloudy, yeasty beverage is called Federweißer. The light-colored sediment in the bottle is what gave this young wine its name.
In some regions, Federweißer is also called “Sauser,” “Rauscher,” or “Bitzler” because of its sparkling taste.

Storage

The alcohol content of Federweißer can vary significantly.
Once the must has begun to ferment, it is sold when its alcohol content reaches about 4 percent.
Once fermentation is complete, the young wine contains about 11 percent alcohol by volume. Because of the fermentation process, Federweißer is always sold in bottles with air-permeable caps. This allows the carbon dioxide produced to escape. But be careful: the wine itself will leak out if the bottles are not stored upright.

Fermentation

Chilling slows down the fermentation process. When young, Federweißer has a pleasantly sweet, fruity taste with the characteristic aroma of fresh yeast. It has a slight tingling sensation on the tongue and, initially, only a moderate alcohol content.
As fermentation progresses, it becomes less sweet and more alcoholic,
until it eventually turns into wine.
Federweißer is best enjoyed at room temperature.